LEAGUE TEAM'S TOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19526, 4 January 1927, Page 13

LEAGUE TEAM'S TOUR.

NARROW DEFEAT BY BATLEY.

HARD-FOUGHT, EXCITING GAME. HOME SIDE'S COMBINATION. (From J. O.Shaughnessy, with the New Zealand Rugby League Team,) HARROGATE. Nov. 21. Although the conditions were very unfavourable, owing to rain which fell all the morning and lifted some minutes prior to the game, the game between the New Zealand Rugby League team and Bailey on November 20 produced one of the finest exhibitions oi" football seen on our tour. The first half, especially, contained an abundance of spectacular football in which both sides showed excellent combination, The closeness of the scores and the manner in which they fluctuated maintained the excitement of the spectators at a high pitch throughout. Led by Singe, New Zealand attacked and for some minutes had Batley defending in their own twenty-five, where Davidson delighted the crowd by breaking through. But lie was grassed when a try seemed certain. Then, from play in midfield, Gardiner handed to Dufty, who came up fast, and made a grand run to within inches of the Batley line. Then, near the Batley line, Gardiner snapped up and gave to Henry, who fooled three Batley men with a beautiful "dummy" and went over for a fine try. Both Sides Aggressive. Gallagher, for Batley, put in a splendid "up-and-under" kick that saw a back fumble, allowing a Batley forward to dribble 0:1. Bus Brown saved in time by kicking over the dead-ball lino. Henry and Petersen headed a rush that had Batley thinking until Rees intercepted a pass and raced through the defence to give to Smith, who went over for a good try, which Rees failed to convert. The Batley stand-off halfback, Fowler, was playing a very heady game at this stage. Fowler is a Welsh Rugby Union international halfback who has come over to the League code recently. Brown, .Dufty and Kinvati combined well in a great rush from ouf twenty-five to the Batley twenty-five and had Batley defending desperately. Davidson had a drop-kick at goal, but tho ball struck one of the posts and fell into play again. Davidson intercepted cleverly at tho halfway, and raced ahead to send Brown 011, who went over for a thrilling try, which Dufty converted with a splendid kick. The scores now read:—Now Zealand, 10; Batley, 3. With the run of play fluctuating from one end of the field to the other, the spectators were entertained to an exhibition of fine, open play, the ball being thrown about freely by both sides. Webb fumbled the greasy ball, to see Fowler gain possession. A brilliant passing movement in which the ball was handled by Fowler, Douglas, Gallagher and Rees, followed. Rees raced over for a brilliant try which was converted by Scott. Batley continued to press. Desmond saved finely by kicking into touch, but from the resultant scrum, almost on our line, Gallagher secured ama sent Wale over for a try 011 the wing, beating Brown badly on the blind side of the scrum. Rees failed to convert.

' Stung by this the New Zealanders strove to reassert their * superiority, gained in tiie opening stages. Webb at the base of the scrum intercepted from the Batley scrum-half and dashed ahead to the Batley twenty-five. There he passed in to Sir.ge who just missed a try by slipping on the line. But a moment afterwards Dufty took a penalty for obstruction and put the ball over with a magnificent kick. Once again Webb burst through, with Singe in electric fashion, to the Bafley tweutyfive, but went too far. Play swung back to the New Zealand tweuty-five, where Avery mistakenly passed back to space. Davidge eamo up fast and, securing, flashed over for a try, which Reos failed to increase. New Zealand Hard Pressed.

New Zealand, driven back, had to defend their line smartly. Dufty got therm out of a very awkward corner by a huge kick from 10yds,, in front of the posts to within a few yards of the Batley corner flag, evoking a burst of cheering from the crowd. Then in hectic fashion Webb, with a characteristic cut-in, romped through the Batley defence on the tvventy-fjvo line and, working the blind side, sent the burly Maori, Gardiner, over for a fine try, which Dufty converted. New Zealand, 15; Batley, 14, Half-time came immediately afterwards. Right from the kick-off New Zealand had Batley in trouble. Webb fooled several men and broke away. Ho kicked over the head of the fullback, who saved only in time by kicking over his dead-ball line. Dufty had no difficulty in putting over a penalty kick. Avery and Brown led some thrilling work in the Batley twenty-five and Dufty earned a round of applause by his wonderful touch-finding. Avery, Petersen and Henry headed a great and typically New Zealand forward rush, dribbling the ball many yards and completely nonplussing the Batley defence. But the wily Gallagher, who visited New Zealand "as a member of the English League teams of 1920 and 1924, single-handed took play back and broke up that movement. Kirwan who, with Desmond, had been playing an excellent game, turned defence into attack with an "up-and-under" kick, driving Batley back. A free kick to New Zealand against (he Batley half for not putting the ball into the "scrum properly, gained many yards. Then Wale, the Batley wing, put in a fine run down the touch-line until splendidly tackled and thrown out by Brown. Wale is the ex-captain of the Warwickshire County Rugby Union team, and was in 1925 the holder of the 220vds. championship of the Royal Air Force. He certainly showed any amount of speed during "the game. Nest, Gallagher, obtaining the ball from a scrum on our line, dashed over in bullocking style for a try, and Scott converted. The scores were now:—New Zealand, 17; Batley, 19; with but a few minutes till time. Desperate Efforts to Win.

Seeing victory slipping through their fingers New Zealand made desperate efforts to win. Both backs and forwards combined in some thrilling pieces oi play that almost resulted in the match-win-ning try. In quick succession, five scrums were taken almost on the Batley line. From the last one, Webb, at half, gave to Henry, who gave to Brown, but the last was thrown out near the corner. Again New Zealand's determined assaults nearlv gave them victory, but by a mistake Brown passed to a Batley man near the line and Batley relieved. Not to be denied, New Zealand returned splendidly, led by Carroll and Peterson. Gardiner held a difficult pass finely, and earned on to give to Dufty, who came up from the full-back position, only to be grassed near the Batley line. Flay was fast and exciting, and. in the forwards, of a strenuous nature. The referee had occasion to speak to several players of both sides on this account. Mason was next prominent in some hefty tackling that stemmed and broke up a Batley rush led by the redoubtable Gallagher who. throughout, had been playing a sterling game." With * last minute dash, Webb cut in beautifully, and with Sanders forged ahead to the Batley twenty-five. A few seconds later the whistle *«ni t<"> end a thrilling and splendidly contested game with the scores. New Zealand, 17-, Bailey, 19.